TRT documentary on French firm Lafarge's Daesh links to debut on Friday

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - The two-day debut of Turkish public broadcaster TRT's documentary exposing France's operation to support the Daesh terrorist organization, also known as ISIS, via cement giant Lafarge is scheduled to begin on Friday.

A press release by TRT World on Thursday said the channel's documentary, The Factory, will "reveal the sinister network behind funding international terror," on the sixth anniversary of the 2015 Paris terror attacks, at TRT News, TRT World, and TRT Arabi.

The documentary is "the result of a 2-year investigation and analysis of more than half a million documents," said the written statement, adding that it revealed "one of the darkest episodes of the Syrian War."

It details why French cement company Lafarge "decided to stay in Syria and keep its factory operative throughout the war, how EU funds were diverted to DAESH and the PKK, with the knowledge and cover-up of the French intelligence agencies, the steps taken by French politicians and intelligence agencies to save Lafarge from legal proceedings, and how the process of funding Daesh in Syria ended up financing 2015 Paris attacks," it added.

The Factory also includes interviews with figures like the former head of the General Directorate for External Security Alain Julliet, former Minister of Finance Michel Sapin, former French Ambassador to Syria Michel Duclos, former French lawmaker Gerard Bapt, and "specialists from French intelligence and security, attorneys, Lafarge's former employees and victims of Paris attacks."

It was produced by the Exclusive News and Content Department of TRT World, with Abdulkadir Karakelle as its executive producer and director, Omer Faruk Tunc as its producer, and Guray Ervin as its director of cinematography.

- French support for Daesh/ISIS

Documents obtained by Anadolu Agency showed that Lafarge told French intelligence agencies about its ties with the Daesh/ISIS terror group.

The documents exposed how Lafarge, charged with complicity in crimes against humanity over funding Daesh/ISIS operations in Syria, had a relationship with the terror outfit that French intelligence was fully aware of.

French agencies, according to data obtained, used Lafarge's network to get intelligence in the region and maintain their operations.